Motorcycles

The Amazing Indian Larry. Legends Never Die.

by Bryan Lahr on January 23, 2009 at 11:10PM

He was a legendary custom motorcycle builder.
He was a stunt rider.
He was an innovator and a rebel.

He lived his life with the throttle wide open and roaring 100 miles an hour and ended his life with throttle off slowly, coming to a halt. His name is Larry Desmedt, better known to the world as Indian Larry. After building bikes and performing in relative as an industry favorite for 40 years, he stole the hearts of millions of people all over the world when he was featured on the popular Discovery Channel show, Biker Build off. He and legend Billy Lane faced off in an epic bike build and harrowing ride to the competition. Larry won with an amazing creation that was as much fine art as motorcycle. People loved his bike but what they really reacted to was Larry sharing the win with Billy and declaring a tie.

He brought the world of motorcycles and bikers most people thought of as outlaw and made it main stream setting off a custom bike craze.

Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y. Desmedt was convicted of bank robbery and struggled with alcohol and drug abuse in his youth. He decided to leave his tumultuous early life behind and focus on his bike building talents.

Indian Larry was a teenager when he bought his first motorbike, a 1939 Harley Knucklehead, for $200. He took it apart and spent the next nine months learning how to put it back together again. He later moved to California and apprenticed under hot rod builder Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.

The tattoo-covered metal-sculptor and motorcycle mechanic launched the Brooklyn-based Gasoline Alley motorcycle workshop in 1991 and devoted the rest of his life to creating and riding "old school bikes." Several of his custom-built motorcycles won awards, including the "Grease Monkey," which was named Easy Rider magazine's Chopper of the Year.

Indian Larry also performed stunts in movies ("Quiz Show," "200 Cigarettes") and on television. He was a featured artist on the Discovery Channel's "Biker Build-Off" series, and once rode a motorcycle through a wall of fire on "The Late Show With David Letterman."

There's a new dvd available Called My Day With Indian Larry. It has some amazing footage of Indian Larry and Owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon, Jay Allen, taking an unbelievable ride in Sturgis just before his tragic death while shooting another show for discovery Channel. He and partner Paul Cox did mindblowing stunts like standing up on the seat and surfing at 60 miles an hour. Pick it up at Rumbum.com soon.

In the years since his death, things have changed. Biker Build Off is no longer. The bike craze has subsided. Paul Cox and Keino have gone their separate ways and building their own bikes. But one thing hasn't changed. Indian Larry is still loved. People fade away but legends never die.